Size of state government not Washington's business

3:50 PM,
Mar. 12, 2014

Froma Harrop

Written by

Froma Harrop
Columnist

We who applaud the boldness of Rep. Dave Camp's tax reform plan need not like everything in it. The part that would repeal the deduction for state and local taxes is an abomination, to put it mildly.

The Michigan Republican, head of the House Ways and Means Committee, largely delivers on his vow to simplify the tax code, cut marginal rates and close loopholes.

But the deduction for state and local taxes is not a loophole. It is a cornerstone of modern federalism - the belief that power should be moved from Washington to the governments closest to the people. Using the federal tax code to hurt state ...